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Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance was a period of cultural and artistic creativity that resulted from the culture and artworks of the previous era, the Middle Ages. It lasted from 1453 to 1519. Major Artworks Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio – “old bridge” in Italian – has crossed the centuries and is today one of the major attractions of the city of Florence. In Roman times, the first bridge to connect the two banks of the river that runs through Florence, the Arno, was built not far from the current Ponte Vecchio. But its wooden structure made it vulnerable, and it was destroyed several times. The Ponte Vecchio was then built entirely of stone in 1345. To amortize its cost, some shops and small houses are installed there. Butchers, fishmongers, and tanners share the stalls. In 1565, a passage was added above the houses called the Vasari Corridor so that the Medici family, in Florence, could cross it safely. This private road protected them from potential attacks while allowing them not to be slowed by the crowd on the bridge! In 1593, Ferdinando I de’ Medici had the existing shops replaced by jewelry stores. The reason for this change? Odors that bothered him! Indeed, in addition to the smell of meat and fish, the skins used to make clothing are softened in horse urine! During World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge spared from German bombing. Today, it is still a privileged passage of tourists from all over the world. Sistine Chapel Ceiling It is in the Sistine Chapel that many popes have been named. It is visited by millions of tourists each year. The Sistine Chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV who has built it between 1475 and 1483. The latter wanted to have a large room for his court composed of 200 people. The gigantic fresco of more than 8600 ft2 (800 m2) retracing the history of humanity which covers the entire ceiling has been directed by Michelangelo from 1508 to 1512 at the request of the nephew of Sixtus IV, who has become pope in turn. Over the centuries, the chapel has been the theater of many conclaves. These meetings of cardinals still aim to name the new pope. They last several days during which participants are locked up and held incommunicado. During the last conclaves, cell phones and computers were strictly forbidden. Once the pope is appointed, white smoke escapes from the chapel to announce it to the population. Nowadays this place of worship is closely watched because the many visitors are deteriorating the paintings in spite of themselves. In fact, the carbon dioxide released by their breathing and the dust present on their bodies or their clothes create a chemical reaction on the frescoes and damage them. An air conditioning system has also been put in place to try to minimize the problem. St. Peter's Basilica Since its construction, the huge basilica is the church of the popes. The greatest artists of Quattrocento have contributed to its splendor. The largest Christian building in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica is located in the Vatican, a tiny independent state enclosed in Rome with only 800 inhabitants. It contains more than 400 statues and can accommodate 60,000 people in its enclosure. In 1506, the first stone of the basilica is laid by Pope Julius II. It is the architect Bramante who starts the building site. The work will last 120 years, and the greatest architects and artists of the Renaissance including Michelangelo and Raphael will participate. Its dome alone, 446 feet (136 meters) high and 135 feet (41 meters) in diameter, requires more than two years of work! In 1626, it is finally inaugurated, but the work will continue until the 18th century. Some popes are buried here, including Saint John Paul II, whose funeral in 2005 attracted more than three million people. In front of the daily affluence of which it is the object, the surroundings of the basilica are provided with metal detectors, making its access similar to that of an airport! And even today, visitors must adhere to a certain dress code just to enter. Shorts and tank tops as well as dresses or skirts above the knee are thus prohibited! Major Artists *Leonardo da Vinci *Michelangelo *Sandro Botticelli *Raphael *Verrocchio Category:Renaissance Category:Modern Era Category:Time Periods Category:Events